Celebrating Matthew "Sagacity" Walker: Gratitude for Years of Service to NCDD

​The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation celebrates Matthew "Sagacity" Walker (they/them) as they conclude board service, bringing expertise in community engagement, youth development, and facilitation from their role as Program Manager at Everyday Democracy and Senior Associate with The Creative Discourse Group focused on racial equity. A University of Hartford graduate who worked as a Field Researcher co-designing program evaluations, Sagacity has facilitated community organizing trainings across multiple states and community dialogues on education, policing, and racial equity, contributing board expertise in equitable facilitation practices, youth engagement, and community-responsive approaches centering marginalized voices. NCDD thanks Sagacity for strengthening the coalition's equity and justice commitments while continuing to work on local and national initiatives contributing to more equitable, just, and informed communities.

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The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation extends deep gratitude to Matthew "Sagacity" Walker (they/them) as they conclude their service on NCDD's board of directors, bringing years of expertise in community engagement, youth development, and facilitation to strengthen the coalition's mission of advancing dialogue and deliberation practice. As Program Manager at Everyday Democracy based in Hartford, Connecticut, Sagacity has designed community trainings and provided coaching on group facilitation and community organizing while serving as Senior Associate with The Creative Discourse Group, a collective focused on racial equity and supporting organizations to build more equitable practices. Their dual commitment to local Connecticut organizing and national initiatives has enriched NCDD's capacity to connect practitioner communities, center equity in dialogue work, and bridge grassroots community engagement with broader movement-building efforts.

Sagacity's background spans management, youth programming, education, program evaluation, and small group facilitation, with collaboration across Connecticut-based organizations and institutions, including Charter Oak Cultural Center, City of Hartford, and RE-Center. A graduate of the University of Hartford, where they worked as a Field Researcher for the Center for Social Research, co-designing program evaluations and long-term studies, Sagacity brings rigorous research sensibilities to facilitation practice. They have facilitated community organizing trainings across states, including Ohio, Delaware, Iowa, and Maine, alongside community dialogues on education, policing, and racial equity—issues requiring skilled facilitation to navigate power dynamics, historical trauma, and deeply divergent perspectives while building pathways toward collective action.

Through board service to NCDD, Sagacity has contributed expertise in equitable facilitation practices, youth engagement, and community-responsive approaches that honor lived experience and center marginalized voices in dialogue processes. Their work embodies the values NCDD advances: creating spaces where all voices are heard and valued, balancing power dynamics in deliberative settings, fostering true collaboration, and driving equitable outcomes. As Sagacity continues working on local and national initiatives contributing to more equitable, just, and informed communities, NCDD celebrates their leadership, thanks them for strengthening the coalition's commitment to equity and justice, and looks forward to continued collaboration as a valued member of the dialogue and deliberation field.